Big Heads Up to an Post!

Missyelliot2

Hi, went into local bank armed with IBAN and BIC numbers of person I know in UK - I needed to transfer £200 into their account. Was told by teller that this transaction could not be carried out, as it required a minimum of £3000 to be transferred - the bank don't deal with small fry!
She would do it, (at a push and out of the goodness of her heart) for 25 euros.
I told her that was a non-runner
I was told to apply for online banking "on a phone over there'

I walked to the post office, and asked for a sterling draft....it cost me 4 euros!

What is going on?? The teller in the Post Office seemed almost apologetic asking for 4euros......

homer911

But now try and post it! My local post office now has a sign up saying they wont accept mail containing bank drafts!!

shedweller

homer911 wrote: »

But now try and post it! My local post office now has a sign up saying they wont accept mail containing bank drafts!!

Are they for real?
Just dont tell them whats in the envelope!

Jim2007

homer911 wrote: »

But now try and post it! My local post office now has a sign up saying they wont accept mail containing bank drafts!!

I think this is one of those money laundering things - I have seen a similar notice in the post office here in Switzerland.

I used to buy some bits and bobs from a guy in the UK from time to time, sending him a few pounds in an envelope, but he has stopped doing it. He told me he had a visit from old bill, seems they found one of his envelopes during a scan.....

srsly78

OP you can use online banking to do transfers like this for free. It's just counter service that they don't do anymore.

e3000 is the max transfer on online banking, this is why they do larger ones in branch.

hfallada

AIB wanted like €15 to transfer £100 in a british account. A member of staff got a calculator and today exchange rate and worked out how many Euros a £100 was and I transferred it on one of internet banking machines. It costed nothing. Just pay in Euros and let the bank computer convert to euro

srsly78

It costs you about 3% because of the lousy rate they give you, don't be fooled.

Missyelliot2

homer911 wrote: »

But now try and post it! My local post office now has a sign up saying they wont accept mail containing bank drafts!!

The teller just told me to put it in an envelope - it can only be cashed by the receiver.

BuffyBot

Indeed, I suspect we're getting but a fragment here. In the push away from counter services, banks are trying to encourage you (quite fairly IMHO) to make a low value payment via telephone and/or internet banking. Especially when you're already armed with the information to do so.

Saving what limited counter service there is (whether you agree with limited counter service or not) for the tasks which can't be done via other means seems perfectly logical.